Hydrology
by tyrannicalGrifter
Summary: Something right out of a fairy tale is abducting the kids of the National City slums. The DEO doesn't see it as a priority with a new breach in the multiverse letting in people from Earth-1, but Alex Danvers was never one to let loose ends lie... or turn down an offer to help Maggie Sawyer. With the help of the Guardian duo, Alex suits up as... the Batwoman! Rating arbitrary.
1. Hydrology

**A/N: Hey there! So I know today is a Wednesday, but I posted on AO3 on Monday, so my line still works.**

 **Let's give ourselves something to look forward to on Mondays, even with the show on hiatus! I've already got four chapters of this puppy written, so it's going to be a wild ride. Hope y'all enjoy.**

 **Full disclaimer based on a chat I had with someone on tumblr: I know that the issue of Alex Danvers being the Batwoman has sparked a bit of controversy within the fandom, and if this story isn't evidence enough of my position, I am totally okay with her taking on the mantle. Here's why: I'm not turning Alex into Kate. Not at all. Yeah, there are cute little Easter Egg similarities between them, but this is Alex's story. Batwoman is a symbol of pride and strength for me, and that is what she will be as and for Alex, too.**

 **Chapter 1: Hydrology**

The slums of National City weren't typically of much interest to the DEO, and therefore they weren't of much interest to Alex Danvers. The NCPD, on the other hand, frequently had business there, and that meant that Detective Maggie Sawyer did as well. Alex was never one to turn down a call from Maggie, so when her services were requested, she found herself abandoning her Ducati in from of an apartment building on the edge of the worst neighborhood in the city.

Alex slipped under the crime scene tape, putting on a pair of latex gloves. Maggie let out a ragged sigh and got to her feet.

"Hey, Sawyer. What've we got here? Besides an excuse for you to see me again." The banter came easily, as it always did with the two of them. After the kiss earlier that week and the declaration of feelings, the two had pizza and beer, just like any other night, but kisses were peppered in. They hadn't had "the talk" by the end of the night, but they were in a much better place than before, flirty texting and steamy movie nights dotting their schedules.

"A baffled detective and the fourth crime scene she can't fully put together?"

Maggie's response brought a smile to Alex's face, she looked down at the stain. "No sign of forced entry, but these windows could have been open already. The stain…" She bent down to take a closer look and a sniff. "It appears to be water."

"You cracked it, Danvers. The culprit is Poseidon himself. Guess we can all go home now." Maggie's joke fell flat, her annoyance seeping into the comment, and Alex levelled a concerned glare on her.

"Come on, Sawyer. What's actually happening here? She stood as Maggie spoke.

"This is the fourth kidnapping of the month. All high risk families in the slums, and all of Latin descent." Maggie reported. As she spoke, an elderly woman was escorted inside, shoulders shaking and tear tracks on her cheeks. A sympathetic frown graced the detective's features, and she looked to Alex once more before moving onto the woman. "This time, just like the others, only the kids were taken."

As Maggie approached, the woman raised an accusatory finger. "You, Detective Sawyer! You have been "working" this case for a month now, and you are no closer to finding my babies!"

Maggie flinched at the tone, and Alex stepped forward, extending a now de-gloved hand. "Agent Danvers. I'm with the FBI, and I can assure you that we're working very closely with Detective Sawyer to find whoever is behind these kidnappings."

The hand was ignored, and the woman spat at the ground at Alex's feet, turning on Maggie. "No wonder nothing has been done! My babies are in the hands of La Llorona, and you're trusting the government! We are holding a vigil tonight at the church, and rest assured, Detective, a prayer for you will not fall from my lips." Another glare to Alex, then she stormed from the room.

Raising her eyebrows, Alex tried to bring a smile to Maggie's face with a joke. "Ex-girlfriend?"

Maggie sighed, but didn't smile. "Not now, Danvers. I don't have time for this. I need to get back to the office. Look, sorry I dragged you down here, but I don't think this is something the DEO should get involved with."

Alex's eyebrows knit together in concern, and she followed Maggie downstairs. She opened her mouth to try to change Maggie's mind, but she was cut off by the sight of her bike. Someone had spray painted the letters "FBI" on it and crossed them out, and in a bright red, a Batman logo was painted on the other side.

Maggie was the first to react, jogging out into the street and looking around. The only person outside was a kid on the other end of the street, and the detective waved him over.

"Did you see who did this to the bike?"

Silence.

"Hey, I'm serious." She pulled out her badge and held it up to him. "This belongs to my friend, and I'm not happy that she's getting attacked when she came to help us."

The kid rolled his eyes and pushed the badge down. "You don't need the feds to help you. National City needs a Batman."

With that, he ran off, and Maggie turned back to Alex. "Danvers… look, I'll pay to get it cleaned. You can even use mine until it gets done."

Alex shook her head and picked up her helmet from where someone kicked it to the pavement.

"No, don't worry about it. I'm going to help with the case anyway I can, alright? I'll talk to Henshaw and get a task force together. We're going to figure this thing out." Alex spotted a curtain move up in the apartment building. "And we're going to do it together."

Maggie could only offer a small smile, but Alex took it as a victory. She smiled back as she slipped the helmet on, only then noticing the Batman sigil scratched into the plexiglass visor. Another sigh, and she flipped it up to address Maggie again.

"Plus, Batman's kind of cool, right? Maybe I'll keep the paint job." Finally, Maggie smiled for real, and Alex took that as her cue to ride off, her leather jacket unzipped and flapping a bit behind her.

* * *

Alex pulled up to the DEO's building and flinched at the site of her defaced bike. She dropped the helmet on the seat and tried to arrange her jacket so the markings weren't visible. Maybe she should have taken Maggie up on the offer to switch bikes, if just for the day. Shaking her head, she made her way inside.

As always, the DEO was a hub of activity. Winn was at his desk, snacking on something or the other, and Alex helped herself as she passed by. The tech wizard moved to protest, but she was already far past him.

J'onn J'onzz stood in his normal spot, arms crossed as he looked up at the monitors. Supergirl was out beating up some run of the mill robbers, and Alex's eyebrows raised when she saw that one of them was wearing a "Flash" t-shirt. He spoke when she pulled up next to him.

"So that's not supposed to be on this Earth. Did Kara bring back more than a souvenir after her little trip?"

"I have no idea. But I think we have another probl-"

"No. This breach is our top priority right now."

"What? J'onn, there's something serious going down in the slums! I think ghosts count as "extra-normal," don't you?" Alex really hadn't expected this kind of resistance from her boss, and frankly she didn't understand why he was being so single minded.

"The NCPD can handle that. Kara isn't the only one travelling between Earth 1 and us, and we need all hands on deck right now. Side projects are called off until we can find where they're breaching the multiverse."

Shaking her head, Alex crossed her arms over her chest, the image of the old woman and of Maggie's dejected features flashing behind her eyes. "I can't believe this. The people of National City are suffering-"

"Or is your girlfriend suffering?"

Silence fell for a moment, and Alex struggled to formulate words.

"Were you reading my mind?"

"Detective Sawyer can take care of the slums for now. I need you to be working on this multiverse breach. I'm serious, Alex. You're on assignment now."

Still lost for words, Alex turned on her heel, passing Winn's desk and not acknowledging his offer of another snack as she went off to her office, a mounting stack of files on her desk, each with a different problem she was expected to set aside.

* * *

Wine was always the answer, Alex mused. Unless whiskey was. Tonight was a whiskey night. For the past week, the evenings were spent either at the bar or in her apartment, Maggie never out of reach, but tonight she had to stay late. The kidnappings were getting out of hand, and she was dedicated to her job. As she looked at the now empty whiskey tumbler, Alex resented how much she liked that about Maggie.

Flicking on the TV, she wasn't feeling much up to watching a movie, not without a certain detective curled up next to her, so she went left whatever was on running as she refilled her glass.

"And now joining us is Police Commissioner James Gordon." Alex glanced up. Gotham made the national news again, unsurprisingly. Gordon was scruffy, with a bushy mustache sticking out past the rest of his stubble. Alex smiled a bit at the brown duster and thick glasses. He was a classic cop, and if Maggie was right, he was a damn good one, too.

"Thank you, Ms. Vale. Today's arrest was a big win for the GCPD, and we're confident that Arkham Asylum will be a good next stop for this fellow."

That had Alex rolling her eyes. It wasn't that Arkham wasn't a good asylum, but the escape rate compared to the DEO was laughable. Looking the burly, scaled man up and down on the screen, she couldn't help but shake her head. He would break out soon enough, and the vicious circle would continue.

"Can you tell us, Commissioner, did the Batman have anything to do with today's arrest?"

Silence fell, but Jim Gordon smiled, just a bit, and looked right into the camera. "No comment, Ms. Vale. No comment."

Alex turned off the TV and sighed, her body relaxing back into the couch. Her mind went back to the bike downstairs, and an inkling of an idea scratched at her brain. Moving to her closet, she took in the tactical clothes and the plethora of weapons stashed behind them. Snatching up her cell phone and gingerly taking out the mask Maggie had given her on the Roulette mission, Alex keyed in a familiar number and let it ring.

"Hey, Winn. Yeah, it's Alex. Can I ask a favor?"


	2. The Batwoman

**A/N: So here we go! A little secret: was what started my spiral into fandom over a friggin decade ago, so you're getting Chapter 2 today instead of Monday... because I love you more. And as kind of a celebration of my acquaintance with writing fan shit. Anyway! I present to you, ladies and gents...**

 **Chapter 2: The Batwoman**

" _Hey, Winn. Yeah, it's Alex. Can I ask a favor?"_

Winn was over in under ten minutes, and Alex had a sneaking suspicion he had still been at the DEO when he called. With the Guardian becoming more prominent, he had been making more and more gadgets to give James an edge.

When he knocked, she quickly ushered him inside, taking the stuffed duffel bag from his shoulder as she shut and locked the door. When the bag came to rest on the counter with a heavy thud Winn visibly cringed, but Alex was already digging around inside. The red spray paint came out first, followed by a slew of technology the DEO agent recognized from her years in the field and some she assumed were made for the Guardian.

"Um, Alex? What are you planning on doing with all of this stuff? I really think we should tell Ka-"

Alex cut him off. "No! We aren't telling Kara. Not about Guardian, and not about… this. She needs to focus on finding and sealing the breach, and you know if she knows it's me and James behind those masks, she'll have an ear on us at all times. I love my sister and how much she cares, but it's just better if she doesn't always have one foot out the door to help us."

She picked up the heavy duty grapple gun with a smile, fitting it to the tactical belt she had around her waist, and Winn continued.

"So… are you joining Guardian? I mean, James and I are kind of a dynamic duo..." He let out a light chuckle as he spoke, trying to keep the situation light as Alex checked out the various weapons she had laid out.

"Not exactly. I want to be patched into your network though. If we're both out in the field, it seems like a waste not to be in contact. In case you boys run into something you can't handle."

"Hey! Who's to say you won't be the one calling for help."

Alex simply sent a look over her shoulder, and Winn deflated a bit.

"Yeah, you're a Danvers."

With a self assured smile, Alex swung the black and red cape over her shoulders.

"So, why do I need a cape? It's not made out of Kara's blanket, is it?"

"No! Of course not. But it is designed to be similar. I've been developing it for Mon-El's costume. From the tests I've run, it should be able to stop bullets. I mean, not as well as Kara's, since it isn't Kryptonian, or alien in any way really, but you don't really care about that, do you? Yeah, it's bulletproof and fire-proof. Basically an extra layer of protection."

Alex gave the cape an experimental flick with her wrist, the heavy material swinging in an arc as she spun. "It could also do some real damage in a fight."

Winn only looked minorly freaked out as she said that, busying himself with attaching the communication device to the mask Alex provided.

"Why is your first move to turn anything you touch into a weapon? Everything isn't a weapon." He was mumbling, but Alex heard and lightly hit him with it.

"Because I'm about to go out into the field on my own. Every weapon I can get is an asset."

"Right. Dangerous missions. That's a good reason." Winn nodded and held up the mask. The antennae of the comm stuck up past the edges of the mask, and Alex tilted her head.

"Does it have to be so tall?"

"If you want to communicate across National City, it does. Look, I packed a supercomputer into a tiny mask. You could stand to be a little more impressed."

Alex actually cracked a smile at that. "I am impressed, Winn. Thank you."

As Alex suited up the rest of the way, affixing the mask behind her ears, Winn's phone started to ring.

"It's James. He's ready to go out on patrol." He tapped the phone against his palm awkwardly. "Is there anything else I can do? The comm is online, so you'll be able to hear us, and a tap to your end will let us hear you."

Alex shook her head, a smile still on her face. "Not a thing. Go fight some crime."

Winn's smile blasted across his face, and Alex chuckled and gave into the offered high five as he ran out the door.

Looking at herself in the mirror, the oldest Danvers couldn't help but hold herself a bit taller. The tactical gear was form fitting, but the cape made her look much larger and more intimidating, and the beak of the mask created a striking silhouette. Glancing behind her, she regarded the red wig for a moment before pulling it over her head. She was really unrecognizable. She was no longer Alex Danvers; she was the Batwoman.

* * *

"Guardian to Batwoman! I repeat, Guardian to Batwoman! We have a real situation blowing up and we could use some backup."

Alex tapped the comm in her ear and punched out the would-be robber, letting him drop to the ground.

"Just cleaned up in front of Stormy's. If you call the cops over here, I'll start heading to your location."

She straddled her trusty bike, the iconic Bat-Signal still sprayed in red on the side, but the crossed out FBI sigil was covered by a new layer of black. It sailed through the streets, dodging between cars and late night traffic, the populous of National City apparently never sleeping. Her cape was a streak behind her, creating an impressive figure.

The bank the Guardian was protecting that night was surrounded by floodlights, and Alex didn't hesitate a moment to drive straight into the fray outside, swinging the bike on its front tire to knock the legs out from under one of the crooks, offering the Guardian a smile.

"Am I late?"

A loud and familiar laugh echoed inside the metal helmet, and the Guardian responded. "Right on time, Batwoman. Thanks for the support."

Alex ducked under the Guardian's shield, that and parts of the armor recently painted a dull gold, and landed a solid hit on the robber's nose, sending him reeling back. A small ruckus started in the bank, and two gun-toting thugs stepped out, one holding a sack, presumably full of cash. The first levelled his UZI at the crime fighters, and Alex couldn't help the smile from pulling at her lips as he opened fire, and she dragged her cape up to shield both herself and James. The bullets slammed into the fabric, but it held, and the small, deadly bits showered onto the ground.

Paralyzed by the display, Alex took full advantage of the moment, unleashing her own weapons. The UZI user took a rubber bullet to the cheek, and he went reeling back. The other dropped the sack and put his hands up. As James knocked down the last of the crooks outside, Alex shot her grapple gun just past the surrendering guy's head, slamming it home in the wall and knocking the trigger. She clung to the device and flew forward, knocking the robber back and out.

Pulling the hook from the wall, Alex smiled again. She dumped the bag of cash just inside the doors as James joined her, the pair sharing a high five and breathing hard.

"That was fancy work with that cape of yours."

Tapping her comm, Alex made sure Winn was listening. "Yep, that's all on Winn. He's pretty damn good at this."

Over the comms, Winn responded. "You should get into more crazy crossfires if it makes you appreciate my genius. But we might want to take this party somewhere else. The cops are en route. Eta: less than a minute."

James and Alex rushed back to their respective bikes and took off as the sirens approached, and Alex vaguely wondered if Maggie was going to hear about the Batwoman back at the station.

* * *

 _Someone_ in National City had clearly heard about the Batwoman, and news travelled fast. Alex stepped into the DEO the following morning a bit late, opting to walk to work, seeing as her bike was still decked out for Batwoman, and she was practically assaulted by Winn.

"Alex, I think we're in trouble. You-know-who is all over the news!"

Alex shook her head and patted Winn's shoulder, holding back any jokes in favor of calming the techy down. "Don't worry about it, Winn. We handled the Guardian; we can handle this, too. At least Batwoman isn't being charged with murder."

Winn flinched at the reminder about the Guardian hiccup, and Alex's cold exterior faded.

"Seriously. We have Jimmy running press, and I can convince Maggie to stop any manhunts that may or may not pop up. After all, the city has bigger fish to fry with the breach. I'm sure a new vigilante is the last thing people will care about. Just keep it cool"

"Danvers!" Alex jumped at her name, maybe not as chill about the whole Batwoman thing as she had lead Winn to believe. Her stoic expression was back in a blink as J'onn approached.

"Director Henshaw." Tension hung in the air, and Alex held her ground firmly, holding her hands behind her back as silence hung for a moment. "Do you have an assignment for me?"

J'onn frowned at the pose and his eyes narrowed just a bit. Alex steeled herself and glared right back. "Director, if you could leave my thoughts to myself this time."

Sighing, he backed off and tried to extend an olive branch. "Alex…"

But he was cut off by a new face entering the scene. "So you're Alex Danvers? Director Henshaw told me we'll be working closely together. I'm-"

Alex cut in, a friendly smile on her face rather than the defensive mask. No one else needed to know about her dirty laundry with J'onn. "Detective Montoya."

"Renee, please. So, you've heard of me?" She had a flirty smile that reminded Alex of her own detective. The reminded Alex that she hadn't heard from the detective since yesterday's disappointing phone call. The mental image of Maggie hunched over her desk at the station, an old cup of coffee next to her as she worked the night through brought a smile to Alex's face as she answered Montoya.

"I've seen you on the news with Commissioner Gordon. What's brought you so far from Gotham?"

J'onn was the one to answer, and the words sent a chill down Alex's spine.

"You and Detective Montoya are going to be hunting down the Batwoman."


End file.
